Posted on Sunday, 03.20.11

The Associated Press

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/20/2125054/ex-college-president-asks-to-surrender.html

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The former president of the University of Central Arkansas, who has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges, is offering to give up his license to practice law in Arkansas.

"In order to avoid unnecessary proceedings, I have decided to voluntarily offer the surrender of my Arkansas law license," Lu Hardin wrote in a petition with the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the petition, filed March 9, was signed by Hardin, along with his attorney, Charles Banks, and Office of Professional Conduct executive director Stark Ligon. The Arkansas Times first reported the story on Thursday.

Hardin, a former state senator and college professor, pleaded guilty to the federal charges March 7. He admitted to falsifying a document to make it appear that three upper-level administrators had agreed that he could make early draws from a $300,000 bonus.

The nature of Hardin's quick need for a large amount of cash wasn't disclosed, and part of the plea agreement was filed under seal. But his longtime friend, businessman and former gubernatorial candidate Sheffield Nelson, has said gambling debts are what led Hardin to do what he did.

Hardin hasn't been formally sentenced. Prosecutors said more information would be revealed after a pre-sentencing investigation was conducted.

Phone calls from The Associated Press to a listing for Hardin rang unanswered Sunday, while a message left at a number listed for Banks wasn't returned.

Ligon said that convicted felons will "almost invariably" lose their law licenses. He said his office drafted the petition, gave it to Banks and both sides agreed to submit it to the court.

When asked who first raised the license issue, Ligon pointed to Hardin's guilty plea.

"As a result of that event, Mr. Banks and I communicated" immediately afterward, Ligon said.

Hardin abruptly resigned as president of Palm Beach Atlantic University in south Florida, where he'd been since 2009, just days before he entered his guilty plea. He left the University of Central Arkansas a year earlier as the bonus issue erupted.